FACTS:

The property is a 10.36 hectare property in Baguio City called Section 3(2) of Executive Order 561 states that:Dominican Hills. It was mortgaged to the UCPB which The resolution, order or decision of the Commission on any of theforeclosed the mortgage, acquired the same as highest foregoing cases shall have the force and effect of a regularbidder, and was donated to the Republic of the Philippines by administrative resolution, order or decision and shall be binding upon the parties therein and upon the agency having jurisdiction over theUCPB. The deed of donation stipulated that the property samewould be utilized for the "priority programs, projects, activitiesin human settlements and economic development and The COSLAP may not assume jurisdiction over cases whichgovernmental purposes" of the Ministry of Human are already pending in the regular courts. Section 3(2) ofSettlements Executive Order 561 speaks of any resolution, order or decision of the COSLAP as having the "force and effect of aHowever, the Ministry of Human Settlements was abolished regular administrative resolution, order or decision." Thewhen President Corazon Aquino issued EO No. 85. All the qualification places an unmistakable emphasis on theagencies as well as all the assets, programs and projects of administrative character of the COSLAP's determination,the Ministry were transferred to the Presidential Management amplified by the statement that such resolutions, orders orStaff (PMS) decisions "shall be binding upon the parties therein and upon the agency having jurisdiction over the same."PMS received an application from petitioner UNITEDRESIDENTS OF DOMINICAN HILL, INC. (UNITED) to acquire The COSLAP discharges quasi-judicial functions:a portion of the Dominican Hills property. PMS Secretary "Quasi-judicial function" is a term which applies to the actions,referred the application to the HOME INSURANCE GUARANTY discretion, etc. of public administrative officers or bodies, who areCORPORATION (HIGC). A MOA was signed by and among the required to investigate facts, or ascertain the existence of facts, holdPMS, the HIGC, and UNITED where PMS would sell the hearings, and draw conclusions from them, as a basis for their officialproperty to HIGC which would, in turn, sell the same to action and to exercise discretion of a judicial nature."UNITED. Eventually, HIGC sold the property to UNITED However, it does not depart from its basic nature as anSometime in 1993, private respondents, DOMINICAN HILL administrative agency, albeit one that exercises quasi-judicialBAGUIO RESIDENTS HOMELESS ASSOCIATION functions. Still, administrative agencies are not considered(ASSOCIATION), entered the Dominican Hills property courts; they are neither part of the judicial system nor areallocated to UNITED and constructed houses. Petitioner they deemed judicial tribunals. Accordingly, the executivesecured a demolition order. department may not, by its own fiat, impose the judgment of one of its own agencies, upon the judiciary. Indeed, under thePrivate respondents filed an action for injunction docketed as expanded jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, it is empoweredCivil Case No. 3316-R but their prayer for writ of preliminary "to determine whether or not there has been grave abuse ofinjunction was later denied. While Civil Case No. 3316-R was discretion amounting to lack of or excess of jurisdiction on thepending, private respondents filed Civil Case No. 3382-R part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government.represented by the Land Reform Beneficiaries Association,Inc. (BENEFICIARIES). They prayed for the damages,injunction and annulment of the said Memorandum ofAgreement between UNITED and HIGC which was dismissedby the trial court.

Another demolition order was subsequently implemented. To

forestall the re-implementation of the demolition order,private respondents filed petition for annulment ofcontracts with prayer for a temporary restrainingorder in the Commission on the Settlement of LandProblems (COSLAP) against petitioner HIGC, PMS, the CityEngineer's Office, the City Mayor, as well as the Register ofDeeds of Baguio City. Public respondent COSLAP issuedthe contested order requiring the parties to maintainthe status quo.

Petitioner then filed the instant petition

ISSUE:Is COSLAP empowered to hear and try a petition forannulment of contracts with prayer for a temporaryrestraining order and to issue a status quo order and conducta hearing?

RULING:No. The COSLAP is not justified in assuming jurisdiction overthe controversy